It was the battle in Bozeman, the melee in Montana. House GOP candidate Greg Gianforte has been cited for misdemeanor assault after attacking a reporter -- Ben Jacobs -- who had put a recorder up to his face and started asking questions. Double G said not right now. But Jacobs persisted. Sounds like Jesse.
What happened next? Alert your ears.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN JACOBS, GUARDIAN REPORTER: You were waiting to make your decision about health care until you saw the bill and it just came out and --
GREG GIANFORTE, BUSINESSMAN: We'll talk to you about that later.
JACOBS: Yes. But there's not going to be time. I'm just curious if you could --
GIANFORTE: Speak with Shane, please.
JACOBS: But --
(SOUND OF PHYSICAL CONFRONTATION)
GIANFORTE: I'm sick and tired of you guys. The last time you came here, you did the same thing. Get the hell out of here. Get the hell out of here. The last guy did the same thing. Are you with The Guardian?
JACOBS: Yes. And you just broke my glasses.
GIANFORTE: The last guy did the same damn thing.
JACOBS: You just body slammed me and broke my glasses.
GIANFORTE: Get the hell out of here!
JACOBS: You'd like me to get the hell out of here? I'd also like to call the police. Can I get you guys' names?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you got to leave.
JACOBS: He just body slammed me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you got to leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
So, it sounds kind of bad. How bad? The sheriff's office said there is probable cause to issue a citation, but the injuries didn't meet felony assault. So, normally you'd would blame the GOP candidate for his actions, that's what adults do. We assign blame to those responsible. We are not babies. Or Belgians. But the media, you know who they are going to blame? Rhymes with Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
JOE SCARBOROGH, MSNBC: A guy assault a reporter, which I guess would be too surprising in an age of Trump where he calls the press the enemy of the people. These reckless words have consequences.
JENNIFER RUBIN, THE WASHINGTON POST: There is a cost to continually berating the media… You create an atmosphere in which these people are not treated like human beings. And although I'm sure the president did not intend for this particular candidate to do this, that is the end effect when you begin behaving that way. The fish rots from the head. The tone of the politics for the country is set by the president of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did Donald Trump have anything to do with what this candidate did? Let's hope that candidates --
DON LEMON, CNN: Reporters, they are the fake people back there. They're the horrible people. They're the enemy of the American people. If you think that that doesn't have anything to do with it, then you are sadly, sadly mistaken, my friend.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
Hmm. He puts the Don in donkey.
Now, it's funny: Using their logic, they could now be blamed if anyone attacks President Trump. They've gone full-blown THD: Trump Hysteria Disorder. Obviously GG did wrong. He lost his temper. And you don't throw people to the ground. Including even reporters. But you also don't blame Trump. He can't be at fault for everything. Oh my God! My soup is cold, blame Trump. Holy crap, I have a zit, blame Trump. Oh no, I'm getting fat, it's Trump's fault.
By the way, that last one is real. Barbra Streisand once said that Trump's presidency made her gain weight. Then Lena Dunham said it caused to lose weight. Make up your mind bunch of babies. The fact is, you can't blame Trump for anything including breaking some guy's glasses in Montana while Trump is thousands of miles away in Brussels. You've got to say, that's what I call reach.
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